TOVAI kept an eye on Erik. I could see him regaining control of himself and that pleased me. He needed some serious anger management interventions, but no one could tell the High King that. I slowly cleaned myself, enjoying the hot water. It was hard having my hands shackled together but I knew that Erik was waiting for me to ask him to remove them. I didn’t want to give him the satisfaction. When I looked up again, he had turned around and was watching me.I soaped up my hair, running my hands through the long strands as best I could with the wrists fastened together. The chain from the shackles banged against my nose in the most tender of areas and I flinched. I knew that Erik saw that, but he said nothing. I finally lowered myself into the tub, submerging my hair to rinse it. I finally sat up, water streaming from it. I gathered it at the nape and squeezed the excess water from it. While I was still sitting in the bath, I began to braid it. “Stop,” Erik said, stepping

TOVAI looked up at Erik, surprised. He hadn’t approached me in over two months, and I had thought that the only interest he had in me was purely for show. After our last encounter he seemed to give up on us. I had already mourned our lost relationship and I harbored no more anger. I was not dumb enough to let my guard down around him, though. I’ve seen his temper turn and I now had a baby to protect.“May I sit?” he gestured beside the log. I nodded, moving over to make room. He sat next to me. I offered him some of my porridge, but he waved it away. I continued to eat slowly, waiting for him to speak.“Do you know what is going on at the front?” he asked. I nodded warily. I wasn’t sure how much the warriors were supposed to tell me. Much of it I surmised on my own but some of them just needed to talk. I didn’t want to get anyone in trouble.“And do you have an opinion on it?” he asked. I put my spoon down and turned to him.“What are you wanting from me, Erik? Battlef

TOVAI headed for the King’s tent. I wasn’t sure if he was in camp or if he was at the war front, but I needed to see. I needed to stop him from sending the children to be sold.There were two guards stationed outside his tent. I nodded at them. “Is he in there?”One of the guards looked shocked to see me. I recognized him as one that was standing guard the night that Erik lost control and beat me. He nodded. “Is he with someone?” I asked. I wasn’t making that mistake again.“No, your highness,” he said, bowing. “Shall I announce you?”I nodded. “If you please,” I answered. I waited while the guard scratched at the pole outside the tent and waited for the king to respond. He disappeared inside for a moment and then came out, beckoning to me to go in. “He will see you, my lady.”“Thank you,” I answered, ducking under the flap.Nothing had changed from the last time I was in here, two months ago. The bathtub wasn’t there, but the rug and the coverlet were still the same.

TOVAI was waiting for Eve in her tent when she got back from talking with Erik. I looked at her, fear in my eyes.“He heard I did an exam on you. I told him the truth. You were dehydrated.”I smiled ruefully. Trust Eve to be honest with her king but to omit certain things. I appreciated her.“Thanks,” I said. She went over to her cabinet of herbs and started opening drawers, selecting herbs to mix up a tincture for one of the warriors.“Tell me what’s going on,” she said. I sighed.“I’m to move back into the tent with the King. He traded me the lives of the children for my compliance.”She looked at me sideways before continuing to gather the herbs together. “You will have to tell him soon,” she said. “If he finds out on his own, he will be angry with you.”I nodded, wearily. “I know,” I said. “But I want to wait as long as I can.”She finally gave me her full attention. “Why?” she asked. “I admit I’ve been wondering that. You didn’t ask to terminate the pregnancy whi

TOVAI looked at the retreating form of Erik with confusion. I couldn’t keep up with his moods. Tonight he was the Erik I fell in love with, the kind and funny man that was considerate of my moods and feelings. I lay back on the plush mattress, thinking of how different it was than the hay that I have been laying on lately. I rolled to my side and curled up with my knees to my chest.Despite all of the things I had on my mind, I fell asleep right away. I woke up to Erik slipping into the bed beside me. I rolled on to my back and turned my head. “What time is it?” I asked, sleepily. “Do we need to go?”“Shhh.” Erik stroked my hair back and then rolled over next to me. “It’s hours until daybreak, little one. We have time for this.” He leaned over, putting his lips on mine. He started rubbing my lips with his tongue and I let out a little moan, opening my mouth.His kiss went deeper and his hands were running down my side, stroking my body. He sat up suddenly, pulling his shir